


fate.

by carmillasleatherpants (courtneyarnelle)



Series: The Inevitable [3]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: AU, Alcohol, F/F, First Meetings, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 00:17:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6215959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/courtneyarnelle/pseuds/carmillasleatherpants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura breaks up with her girlfriend of the past few months and decides to drown her not-sorrows into a bottle of alcohol and a few rolls of cookie dough. That is until a stranger speaks to her from her neighbor's balcony and ruins her plans-- Or perhaps she gives Laura better ones.</p><p>(Prompt: Imagine your otp meeting on a balcony + A twist on an anon prompt I received on Tumblr feat. cookie dough.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	fate.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I know it's been a while. And this isn't the next chapter to my WIP but it's something... I missed these two dearly and worked on this. I had it done for Valentine's Day but I-- There was a huge lapse in confidence on my part so I held it to myself. But here's a little one-shot of my favorite lesbians.
> 
> Thank you always. <3

**It’s only when Laura** is already standing out on her balcony that she thinks maybe bringing a jacket out with her might have been a good idea. She frowns but ignores the goosebumps rising on her arms to sit down with her legs hanging over the edge of her balcony. The seasons are just starting to change from fall into winter. Laura should have had the mind to bring her jacket considering she’d just returned from a quick trip to the liquor store and been aware of the dropping temperature. But instead of lingering on the cold, she pops open the bottle in her hands and takes her first sip.

Laura isn’t a casual drinker, which is the entire reason she’d had to go out to buy a bottle, but for someone who’d just broken up with her girlfriend of the past six months, she felt too good. Laura _was_ the one who’d broken up with Danny but it felt weird to feel almost… relieved at a relationship ending. It wasn’t that Danny hadn’t been a good girlfriend. Danny did have a slight tendency to put her own personal interests above Laura’s and she’d blown her off more than once in favor of hanging out with her sisters in the Summer Society… But for the most part when Laura really needed her, Danny was there.

It was just… She was protective. _Over_ protective. It was nice to know Danny cared about her wellbeing, but she could get suffocating. When Laura had asked her-- very nicely-- to back off, Danny got offended. And that had resulted in the fight that led to Laura breaking up with her just a couple hours ago. A week ago—Hell, even _yesterday_ Laura would have thought a break up would make her feel terrible. Instead she felt better than she had in weeks and she couldn’t figure out why.

So instead of dealing with that, Laura had decided to drown her non-sorrows into a bottle and a couple of rolls of cookie dough she just couldn’t make herself pass up. And now she’s sitting out in the cold on the balcony connected to her apartment wondering how good an idea this was. Laura lifts the bottle to take another sip when a voice startles her from the apartment to her right.

“What are you doing?” The voice asks, laced with contempt. The surprise is enough to send the bottle from her fingers down to the ground. Laura watches dejectedly as it shatters against the concrete below.

Laura turns to glare at the culprit who’d caused her to lose her drink and sees the shape of someone she’s definitely never seen before. Laura really can’t see them too well, the only light coming from inside her own apartment. The apartment of the balcony they’re standing on has their lights off.

“You made me drop my drink.” Laura accuses, preparing herself to stand and run back into her apartment. The fact this person had just been lurking on the balcony doesn’t make Laura feel very safe.

“Don’t blame me for your butterfingers, cupcake.” The voice says again. It’s a woman. Or the voice is feminine at least. The only problem is Laura is pretty sure her neighbors on that side are a pair of twin boys. The one that has a neat beard actually waved when he saw Laura. The other whose face is shaved sneered at her like she had something on her face. As far as she knew, no one else lived with them. Though maybe this lady was dating one of them.

“You’re the one who asked what I was doing and scared me and made me drop it.” Laura retorts, forcing the irritation into her voice when really all she felt was dejected at the loss of her drink.

“I was just wondering what a nice girl like you was doing out on her balcony by herself on a Saturday night guzzling a bottle of alcohol.”

“Well she doesn’t have alcohol anymore.” Laura mumbles deciding to leave out the unspoken _because of you._ Instead taking one last forlorn look to where her drink had fallen before reaching to the side to take one of her rolls of cookie dough. Laura can feel the woman watching her and she tries to ignore her but the woman scoffs when Laura bites into her cookie dough. Laura can’t help but react. “What’s your problem?”

“You’re cute when you’re angry.” The woman says.

_Was she…  Flirting?_

Laura decides to continue to _attempt_ to ignore her and how attractive her voice sounds despite the fact she’s antagonizing Laura. It feels like the claws of the way she sounds are digging into Laura— _Pulling_ at her and tugging her towards this mystery woman. This mystery woman who is _antagonizing_ her from her neighbor’s balcony. That thought is sobering enough to at least keep her in place and keep the glare on her face.

The woman is silent as Laura takes another angry bite of her cookie dough. For a moment, Laura thinks she’s taken the hint and left. That is until she hears a grunt and the sound of footsteps landing behind her. Laura stands quickly and takes a defensive stance, clenching the cookie dough in her right hand trying not to squeeze it too hard.

When Laura finally looks at the woman who’s been bothering her she’s… Well she’s gorgeous. Laura had left the lights on in her apartment and even if it’s just hitting the woman’s back, there’s still enough light for Laura to finally see what she looks like and she honestly feels a little taken aback. Laura’s eyes start at her feet, covered in a pair of slick Doc Martens laced all the way up. Up to the pair of leather pants that hug her legs and the lacy black shirt that leaves nothing to the imagination. The woman wears a leather jacket over her shirt. Laura raises her eyes then to her face. She takes in the angular shape, the clear cut of her jawline and cheekbones, the woman’s wavy black hair falling just past her shoulders. Laura nearly bites her own tongue when she meets the woman’s quizzical eyes.

The woman still has her hands held up submissively until her eyes fall from Laura’s to the cookie dough clutched in her hand and then her face breaks into a grin.

“Are you going to attack me with cookie dough?” She asks. The amusement in her voice only serves to further irritate Laura, even if she’s still feeling a magnetic pull to the woman standing in front of her like nothing she’s ever felt before. It’s strange to the point of making Laura uncomfortable.

“What are you doing?” Laura asks. The woman lowers her hands to place one on her hip and she shifts her weight to lean against it. She looks so at ease Laura is tempted to drop her guard but doesn’t.

“I thought I might come keep you company, creampuff. No reason for all of this… Twitchiness.”

“I don’t—I’m not _twitchy_. And I took Krav Maga lessons when I was eight I could kick your ass if you try and make a move I don’t like.” The woman’s smile only grows and she shoves her hands into her pockets.

“Okay.”

“I mean—You could be a serial killer or a kidnapper or something.” The woman snorts.

“I’m not going to kill you. And if I wanted to hurt you I’d have a much better plan than this.”

“That’s really not reassuring.”

“Sweetheart.” She says it softly. Her voice dropping from the teasing tone into something more sincere. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you. That apartment,” She gestures to the balcony she’d come from. “Belongs to my brothers. They share it while they go to university near here. Our mother sent me here to check up on them because they don’t like to call home. And I’m _not_ going to do anything to harm you, alright?”

Laura debates continuing to be hostile but despite herself, the sincerity in the woman’s voice makes her relax. She lets her hands fall to her sides and she drops her defensive stance.

“Fine.” The woman looks relieved for a second before assuming a state of indifference, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets.

“So I told you why _I’m_ here. Why don’t you tell me why you are.” Laura gives the woman a lost look.

“Why do you care?” The woman scoffs in response.

“I don’t.” Laura’s face twists into a glare again and opens her mouth to ask why she asked then, but she’s cut off before she can. “But you look like you need to get it off your chest. And stuffing your face with cookie dough is doubtfully an effective coping method.”

“You’d be surprised how nice eating junk food feels.” Laura replies, taking a bite of her cookie dough roll for good measure. The woman chuckles. With a huff, Laura turns back around and sits down. The sound of boots against pavement starts behind her, then the woman is sliding down to sit next to her. She nudges Laura gently with an elbow.

“Come on, cupcake. I’m a good listener.” When Laura looks up to the woman to gauge her sincerity she winks and Laura finds a flush rushing to her cheeks.

“My name is _Laura_.” She says, deflecting her embarrassment.

“Noted, cutie. Mine is Carmilla.”

“Carmilla.” Laura repeats. She has to admit she likes the way the name rolls off her tongue. Carmilla picks up the second pack of cookie dough that had been left on the ground and opens it without a word, taking a large bite.

“Hey!”

“Two rolls of cookie dough? Really?” Carmilla talks with her mouth full. Laura finds herself a little irritated doing something so unattractive really doesn’t make Carmilla any _less_ attractive. Danny would always put a hand over her mouth if she spoke with food in her mouth if she couldn’t wait until she’d swallowed. Carmilla just pushes the cookie dough to the side of her mouth and speaks without much more care.

Laura is so thankful they’re so different.

Even though Carmilla had _stolen her cookie dough_. Laura might not have eaten it but it was very rude for someone who was a _stranger_ to first make her drop her drink. Then go on to eat _her_ food. And she’s one second from digging into Carmilla for it when she produced a flask from a pocket and holds it towards Laura.

“What—”

“It’s just whiskey. And I swear, I haven’t spiked it with anything.” To prove her point, Carmilla uncaps the flask and takes a sip. She waits a few seconds before offering it to Laura again.

“I really shouldn’t take drinks from strangers.” Laura says as she’s taking the flask from Carmilla’s hands. Despite her prior words she takes a sip.

“We’re on a first name basis now. I think we’re fine.”

 _Shoddy logic._ Laura thinks. But the longer Carmilla sits next to Laura and she feels the burn of the whiskey in the back of her throat, she’s feels herself more and more thankful for the woman’s presence. With her and Danny having a mutual friend group, she didn’t want to rant to them and force them to take sides. Carmilla’s a third party. And perfect venting material… _And_ she was offering an ear.

“I broke up with my girlfriend.” Laura says before she can second-guess spilling her issues onto Carmilla’s lap. Carmilla shifts for a moment, stretching her arms behind out her and resting her weight on her palms.

“That’s rough.”

“That’s the problem. It really _isn’t_. Like—I mean I was upset when it happened of course but as I’ve had a little time to process… I felt fine. I _feel_ fine. I’m not really _upset_ about it and I feel a lot worse about that. That’s why I came out here to get drunk and eat junk but…” They both look down in the direction Laura’s bottle had disappeared.

“My flask is all yours, sweetheart.” Laura looks to Carmilla and she smiles thankfully. Carmilla returns the smile for a second before she seems to realize what she’s doing and she directs her attention up towards the sky taking another large bite of her cookie dough. Carmilla looks wistful and Laura can’t help her curiosity. So she nudges Carmilla gently.

“Hey.” Carmilla looks back to Laura and Laura smiles. “What about you? Something on your mind that led you out here? Or were you just hoping to run into someone and steal their food.” Carmilla’s mouth twitches into an amused smirk.

“Trying to pick my brain?”

“I was a Journalism major you know. A little nosiness just comes with it.”

“Cute.” Carmilla doesn’t say anything else for a while, choosing instead to scarf down what’s left of her cookie dough. Laura just spends the silence sipping from Carmilla’s flask and nibbling on the roll until Carmilla speaks again. “I’m not thinking about anything in particular. Life is just… Interesting you know?” She turns to face Laura and it’s the first time they’ve met eyes quite like _this._ Laura feels her eyes growing wide at the intensity behind Carmilla’s stare. “I’d like to believe everything happens for a reason. I don’t think it’s a coincidence we both ended up on a balcony tonight.”

“You think fate had us meet tonight? Why?” Carmilla shrugs ambiguously and Laura sighs. “You talk in circles.”

“A girl has to keep her air of mystery, right?”

“Have something to hide?”

“Don’t we all?” Laura’s curiosity about the woman sitting next to her grows with every word that comes from her mouth. Laura finds herself wanting to know _everything_ about her. She wants to know her in every way possible. And the uncertainty in where it may lead scares her just as much as it makes her want to pursue the urge even more.

There had been no mystery with Danny. Danny had been an open book from the start. Laura knew who she was and where she wanted to go even before they’d started dating. Carmilla is uncharted territory. Laura feels she could spend months learning new things about her. And _God_ does she want to.

There’s something about Carmilla that makes her so magnetic. In all the months she’d been dating Danny, she’d never felt anything quite like this. Laura doesn’t even know why she keeps comparing them. Maybe she’s trying to further validate where things went wrong. But projecting them onto this stranger…

“Just who are you Carmilla?” Laura asks. Carmilla smiles sadly.

“I’m no one important.” Laura nudges her with her shoulder.

“Don’t say that. Everyone is important to someone.”

“You don’t know anything about me.” Carmilla doesn’t say it bitterly. She just states it as a fact. A fact that is very true, but Laura shakes her head.

“I don’t have to.” She sets Carmilla’s flask into her lap to reach out and cover Carmilla’s hand with her own. “You deserve to have someone who cares about you.”

Carmilla looks down and Laura’s hand, her mouth open wordlessly then she turns away quickly. Laura wonders if she was only imaging the blush blooming on Carmilla’s cheeks. Instead of risking further embarrassing Carmilla, she pulls her hand back and returns to eating the forgotten cookie dough still clutched in one hand. Since Carmilla’s already devoured hers, the wrapping is sitting to her side.

“Why did you break up with your girlfriend?” Carmilla finally asks, a clear attempt to deflect the conversation from herself. Laura debates answering vaguely for a moment, but then she’d probably never see Carmilla again after tonight since she’d probably be going back to wherever home was for her. Being honest couldn’t hurt.

“She was too protective.”

“ _Too_ protective?” Carmilla questions and Laura shifts nervously. Carmilla’s shoulder presses timidly against Laura’s and both of them pause for a moment. When neither of them makes a move to put any distance between them, Laura continues.

“It was nice that she cared, you know? But she always wanted to keep tabs on me. She would get mad at me when I didn’t tell her where I was. I know she just wanted to know I was okay but she reminded me so much of how my dad treated me. She reminded me _of_ my dad. I don’t want to date my _dad_.” Laura takes another sip from the flask before putting it back in her lap, her lips slipping to a pout at the taste. “And when I tried to be honest today and asked her to back off, she got mad at me for it.”

“So you called it quits in the heat of the moment?” Carmilla finishes. Laura nods and Carmilla reaches over to take the flask from her lap. She takes a long drink before pressing it into Laura’s palm. It’s empty now. Laura glares at the flask then Carmilla who doesn’t look the least bit sorry for finishing it off. “Is drinking making you feel any shittier?”

“Well if you give me a few more of these,” Laura shakes the flask at Carmilla. “Then I might let you know.” She only has a tiny buzz doing now. Not enough to really feel like she’d like to but enough to know she’s been drinking _something_.

Laura glances at the finished roll of cookie dough beside Carmilla once more before offering Carmilla the rest of hers.

“I lost my appetite.” Laura answers the unspoken question. Carmilla frowns and stands suddenly.

“Enough of this forcing yourself to be sad crap. We’re going out.”

“What?”

“You want to get drunk? Let’s get you drunk. And I swear on my father’s grave I’ll return you home without a hair out of place.”

Every bit of common sense is telling Laura not to go. Carmilla is still a stranger and could very well be planning to lure her away to kill her. But she’s also a _pretty_ stranger and she’s being kind of nice. So when Carmilla offers a hand to help Laura stand, she screws the top back onto Carmilla’s flask and takes her hand. Laura must be a little tipsier than she’d initially thought or just flat out clumsy, because as she stands she stumbles forward so Carmilla has to catch her by her forearms to keep her on her feet.

“Oops.” Laura breathes before looking up into Carmilla’s bored expression. Laura flushes, already feeling like a burden. Now that they’re this close, Laura realizes Carmilla’s only slightly taller than herself. The aura she gave off made her seem taller than she was. Laura feels like a child and she considers just saving herself further embarrassment and staying in. But then her eyes drift down to Carmilla’s throat and the woman visibly swallows. Suddenly Laura is aware of just how _hard_ Carmilla’s hands are gripping her arms. Like Carmilla is trying to keep it together too.

Carmilla clears her throat before Laura can actually react and releases her hold once she’s sure Laura is steady.

“Let’s go, cupcake.” Carmilla turns to walk away and Laura reaches out to hold onto Carmilla’s wrist. A warmth bubbles in her stomach when Carmilla doesn’t pull away.

* * *

 

 **It feels weird to** say that this is the first time Laura has been to one of Silas’ lesbian bars. Danny was more inclined to take Laura to restaurants for their dates. Lafontaine and Perry were like grandparents when it came to going out and bars aren’t Laura’s choice of location. She’d much prefer staying in and watching _Doctor Who_ or something of the sort. So going with Carmilla is an entirely new experience.

Carmilla calls a cab to take them there and ignores Laura’s attempts to ask where they’re going. And when they arrive a few blocks from their destination, Carmilla refuses to let Laura help pay the driver despite them only being out here for _Laura’s_ sake.

But when Carmilla turns to Laura and grabs her hand flashing her a dazzling smile while she says, “ _Don’t worry about it, cutie_.” Laura is too busy trying to hide the red blooming onto her cheeks to continue to protest. Carmilla keeps her hand in Laura’s leading her the last few blocks to the bar. She stops just outside as Laura is looking past her to the door.

“You come here often?” Laura asks before Carmilla can tug her forward. Carmilla smile shifts into a thoughtful smirk.

“Not really.” Carmilla answers. “I came here a few times years ago. It’s where I met my last ex.” Carmilla’s eyebrows furrow as she mentions that but she continues to change the subject. “Try not to have too much fun, alright? I can’t be held responsible if anything bad happens.”

“And here I was beginning to think you were my fairy godmother.” Carmilla nudges Laura gently with a shoulder.

“I’m glad you can still make jokes.” Carmilla laces their fingers before finally tugging her inside. Laura doesn’t know if all this hand holding is intentional or not on Carmilla’s part. But when Laura squeezes her hand, Carmilla squeezes back and Laura can’t help but feel a little giddy.

The bar is as packed as might be expected. People are split into their own little groups while at the same time scattered about mingling. The bar seats themselves are mostly taken. Laura watches as a woman crosses the bar and whispers something into another’s ear, before they join hands and walk to a different section of the bar. Carmilla immediately moves forward to set Laura into the seat.

Laura slides onto the stool and Carmilla sets her hands on Laura’s shoulders and slowly slides them down to rest on her thighs. Laura watches Carmilla’s eyes drop down, following her hands, before she looks up to meet Laura’s eyes again.

“Stay here.” Carmilla says. “I’ll get us some shots.” Carmilla looks down to where the bartender is busy on the opposite side of the bar.

“Okay.” Laura replies. Carmilla’s hands slide from her thighs and she leaves Laura alone to grab them a couple drinks.

It’s… devastatingly awkward having to sit by herself and wait for her—Wait for Carmilla. Laura really hadn’t had the forethought to bring her phone so she was totally dependent on Carmilla’s company. Or that of another stranger. To avoid the possibility of the latter, Laura turns to face the bar and keeps her eyes to her lap. She did not want to converse with any more strangers tonight. One nice stranger who was buying her drinks was enough.

Carmilla comes back within a few minutes with two shots. She hands the first to Laura and keeps the second in her own hand.

“To single life.” Carmilla says, raising her shot glass. Laura clicks hers against Carmilla’s and they both throw their heads back to swallow their shots.

* * *

 

 **A few shots later** – all taken on Laura’s part as Carmilla had decided to be a responsible chaperone – Laura is _finally_ starting to feel like she’s been drinking. But rather than feeling shitty like she’d initially wanted, she feels delightfully bubbly. Laura clings to Carmilla who looks more amused than annoyed at the “drunk girl” antics. And Laura blames the fact she’s kinda intoxicated contributing to Carmilla letting a few facts about herself slip.

“So you’re twenty-five?” Carmilla leans back against the bar, her arm stretched out behind Laura, Laura is turned in her chair to face the other woman.

“Mhmm.” Laura nods. She reaches out to ground herself with her hands gripping the lapels of Carmilla’s jacket. Carmilla only glances down at her hands once before focusing her attention back to Laura’s face, Laura doesn’t see any discomfort so she keeps them there. “And you’re twenty-seven.”

“That’s right.” Laura takes the last shot that’s sitting on the bar. It gives her the liquid courage she needs to continue this conversation.

“How is someone as pretty as you single?” Laura tilts her head and Carmilla looks thoughtfully back at Laura as if she’s trying to decide how much to tell her.

“Looks can only get you so far, cupcake. My brilliant personality is usually enough to turn most women off.”

“But you’re being nice to me.”

“I wouldn’t get used to it.” Carmilla grumbles.

“Why _are_ you being nice to me?” An uncomfortable look crosses Carmilla’s face and Laura automatically feels guilty.

“I felt bad for making you drop your bottle earlier. And you’re kind of cute in an annoying way so it’s not _that_ much a burden.”

“You say the sweetest things.” Laura mumbles. A large smile breaks onto her face as the bubbly feeling grows exponentially. Carmilla mirrors the look on Laura’s face. “Carmilla, I—I’m so glad we met tonight. I haven’t thought about Danny since we got here.”

“Is that your ex’s name?” Carmilla asks and Laura slaps a hand over her mouth.

“Oh my God. I never mentioned her by name?” Carmilla shakes her head and Laura reaches out with both hands to hold Carmilla by her wrists.

“Don’t worry about it, cutie. I didn’t ask.”

“I’m so glad we met tonight.” Carmilla chuckles.

“You’ve said.” Carmilla moves one of her hands from Laura’s grip to pat Laura’s hands gently. “I see you’re good and drunk now let’s get you home.”

“You’re so pretty, Carm.” Carmilla ignores that comment and drags Laura from the stool onto her feet. “You’re like the prettiest person who’s ever talked to me.”

“Didn’t you have a girlfriend this afternoon?”

“Who?” Laura’s face twists in confusion and Carmilla rolls her eyes.

“Nevermind. Come on you big baby.” Carmilla throws an arm over Laura’s shoulders to usher her from the bar. Laura takes the opportunity to wrap her arms around Carmilla’s waist and press her head into her chest.

“You smell nice.” Laura mumbles.

“You’re making it hard for me to walk.” Carmilla replies. Once they’re outside the cold hits Laura hard, she still hadn’t grabbed a jacket and now she was paying for it. It’s almost enough to sober her up but not quite. She shivers under Carmilla’s arm while Carmilla calls a cab to come get them. Once she hangs up, she seems to notice the shivering girl pressed into her and she starts to take off her jacket.

“What are you doing?” Laura asks.

“Giving you my jacket.”

“No don’t—You can’t you’ll be cold.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl.”

“No we—Let’s just share.”

“The jackets not big enough for—” Carmilla snaps her mouth shut as Laura steps into her space. She turns to face Carmilla and slides her arms back around her waist. Carmilla stiffens when Laura tucks her head beneath her chin.

“Relax.” Laura tells her. When she looks up, under the streetlight they’ve found themselves standing under, there’s a faint blush on Carmilla’s cheeks as she deliberately doesn’t meet Laura’s eye. Laura doesn’t mind though. Because Carmilla is warm and pretty and being nice to her. Carmilla keeps her hands in her jacket pockets even as Laura starts to sway.

“Stop moving.” Carmilla grunts out.

“But the music.”

“There is no music.”

“There’s always music.”

“You’re drunk.”

“You’re a killjoy.” Before Carmilla can reply the headlights of the cab shine on them. Laura is reluctant to release her hold on Carmilla but they need to head back to her apartment sometime tonight. When she does slide her arms from beneath Carmilla’s jacket, she feels cold and this time she doesn’t protest when Carmilla takes off her jacket and puts it on her shoulders.

They get into the cab and Carmilla rattles off the address while Laura slides her arms into the jacket. The sleeves are just slightly too long but she doesn’t bother fixing it, instead she slides over to rest her head on Carmilla’s shoulder. Carmilla is hesitant, but eventually throws her arm back over Laura’s shoulders.

And the warmth bubbling in her stomach once again feels indescribably nice.

* * *

 

 **Laura babbles about nothing** while Carmilla leads her back up to her apartment. Carmilla is nothing but patient with her and even lets Laura hold her hand on the way. Carmilla’s still so warm and her hand is soft and it’s probably the alcohol but she’s looked so kissable in the past ten minutes. So when they get to her door and Carmilla turns to ask for Laura’s key, Laura lunges forward pushing Carmilla against her door and pressing her lips to Carmilla’s.

Carmilla’s lips don’t move against Laura’s – which Laura just chalks up to her being caught by surprise—until Laura flicks Carmilla’s upper lip with the tip of her tongue. Then Carmilla’s hands rise to cup Laura’s face and she kisses her back. Laura had initiated the kiss hard and lustful but Carmilla slows the kiss into something more sweet and languid. Laura is beyond pleased to find out Carmilla is an incredible kisser. But when Laura raises her hands from where they’d fisted in the material of Carmilla’s shirt up to cup the back of her neck, Carmilla pulls away suddenly.

“Goddammit.” Carmilla curses.

“Carm—” Laura reaches forward and Carmilla puts her hands on her shoulders to keep her back.

“No.” She commands like she would to a dog and Laura frowns. “You’re drunk. I don’t sleep with people who can’t consent.”

“I can consent.” Laura protests.

“No, you can’t. Under different circumstances trust me I would—” Carmilla licks her lips as she cuts herself off to look Laura up and down. “But under these. I can’t.”

Laura wants to further protest but can’t find the words to. So instead she fishes her apartment keys from her back pocket and hands them to Carmilla. The last thing she remembers is Carmilla ushering her inside.

* * *

 

 **Laura wakes up the** next morning fully dressed and still in Carmilla’s jacket. Only her shoes had been removed. Her head is pounding just enough to be a bother. She can taste alcohol in the back of her throat and she can still feel the press of Carmilla’s lips against her own.

When she rolls onto her left, there’s a glass of water and some painkillers sitting on her nightstand and a note. She takes the priority of taking the painkillers first before picking up the note.

_Cutie,_

_Thank you for not throwing up on me even though you fell asleep as soon as we walked inside your apartment forcing me to have to carry you to bed. And I appreciate that kiss. Like I said, whether you remember or not, under different circumstances maybe we could have had some fun._

_I was supposed to leave Styria last night but I decided taking you out would be much more enjoyable. But now I’m late so I’m sorry we didn’t get to say goodbye in person._

_Should it be in fate’s design, perhaps we’ll meet again. Until then take care of my jacket._

_C. Karnstein._

“You couldn’t leave a number, Carmilla?” Laura grumbles, setting the note back down and rolling over. Maybe it was rude to be interested in someone new considering she’d _just_ broken up with Danny yesterday. And really she _wasn’t_ ready to date someone else. She and Carmilla still could have just… Talked. But even that wasn’t possible now unless she approached the twins next door.

The shaved one’s sneer comes to mind and she decides against it. Carmilla was gone. And Laura had a headache.

“ _Ugh_.”

* * *

 

_\--- Two Months later ---_

**Laura almost misses the** tram because she’d woken up late. In her defense it totally wasn’t her fault because her alarm clock had ended up unplugged somehow during the night. She just barely makes it on board and pays her fee. As the tram starts to move, she looks out to see if she can find somewhere to sit but every seat is taken.

Every seat except one next to a familiar face that looks just as surprised as Laura feels.

She approaches the seat slowly and looks into the pair of dark brown eyes that haven’t left her mind since her break up. Danny and her were slowly becoming friends again. It was kind of awkward – Laura blames Danny for that – but it worked. She hadn’t tried dating anyone, holding out for a moment—Well, a moment like this. When she finally saw her again.

“Is this seat taken?” She asks. Carmilla’s grin is infectious.

“No.” She answers simply. _Invitingly_. Laura slides into the seat and Carmilla throws her arm over the back of Laura’s seat.

“Do you think fate had anything to do with this?” Laura meets Carmilla’s eye nervously as she asks and Carmilla tilts her head, grin still plastered onto her face. Laura thinks she looks absolutely lovely when she smiles.

“I wouldn’t call it anything but.”


End file.
